AVANT GARDEN: PLEASURE’S PROMISE
Mark Kelner returns to Culture House with Pleasure’s Promise, an inaugural 120 foot mural celebrating the opening of Culture House’s Avant Garden, curated by Jarvis DuBois. Using the aesthetics of advertising and the language of commercial marketing to critique the fraught and ubiquitous history of Newport cigarettes, Kelner showcases how Newport is represented in media and how, arguably, they are specifically targeted towards an urban, African-American audience.
For decades, slogans such as “Alive with Pleasure!” and “Gratifying!” have been the cornerstones of many Newport print ad campaigns.. Overwhelmingly, these words complement imagery featuring staples of the “American Dream.”
“What’s being sold as “Pleasure,” in fact, kills you. ”
What’s an aggressively promoted trope to Black communities, in fact, signifies how words matter and can symbolize conflicting and hurtful agendas.
Kelner paradoxically explores the tension of other concerns beyond race and inequalities of public health. His work also directly comments on the ongoing gentrification of Washington, DC, examining the socio-economic fissures within the city and how new neighborhoods are being engineered toward cultural homogeneity. With plywood and house paint, Kelner uses satire to illustrate the hollowness of false promises, which he hopes inspires viewers to think differently about their world, and how they respond to the saturation of messaging all around them.
Admission is free, tickets are not required to access the outdoor grounds.
